Genres
Collection
Publication
Random House (2006), Edition: 1st, 304 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:NATIONAL BESTSELLER � From the Pulitzer Prize�winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Olive Kitteridge comes a �superb� (O: The Oprah Magazine) novel that �confirms Strout as the possessor of an irresistibly companionable, peculiarly American voice.� (The Atlantic Monthly) In the late 1950s, in a small New England town, Reverend Tyler Caskey has suffered a terrible loss and finds it hard to be the person he once was. He struggles to find the right words in his sermons and in his conversations with those facing crises of their own, and to bring his five-year-old daughter, Katherine, out of the silence she has observed in the wake of the family�s tragedy. Tyler�s usually patient and kind congregation now questions his leadership and propriety, and accusations are born out of anger and gossip. Then, in Tyler�s darkest hour, a startling discovery will test his parish�s humanity�and his own will to endure the trials that sooner or later test us all. Praise for Abide With Me �Strout�s greatly anticipated second novel . . . is an answered prayer.��Vanity Fair �Deeply moving . . . In one beautiful page after another, Strout captures the mysterious combinations of hope and sorrow. She sees all these wounded people with heartbreaking clarity, but she has managed to write a story that cradles them in understanding and that, somehow, seems like a foretaste of salvation.��The Washington Post �Graceful and moving . . . The pacing of Strout�s deeply felt fiction about the distance between parents and children gives her work an addictive quality.��People (four stars).… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Whisper1
Oh how I like this book!
The writing is exquisitely detailed; the characters are magnificently developed and the scenery of the New England small town atmosphere is painted with a wonderful artistic brush of an amalgamation of impressionist soft tones contrasted with a stark canvas of sharp layers
Tyler Caskey is an intelligent, well-liked, handsome minister of West Annett Maine. Strout places him and the town folk in a late 1950's setting when even tiny rural towns are cognizant of the threat of Russian domination and the build up of nuclear arms.
While the fuzzy uncertain world is changing as two super powers wrestle for solutions, amid this backdrop, is the stark portrait and fall out of 1950's values and small mindedness and petty gossip. The reader realizes that human nature is frail and personal relationships are exceedingly difficult, thus, perhaps world peace is an illusion.
Tyler's wife died of cancer leaving him with two little girls, one of whom is badly acting out. Parishioners never warmed to his beautiful, cosmopolitan wife and thus now, rather than help, the misguided townsfolk cackle and harm. Rather than embrace, the mean spirited ninnies throw stones.
Using the wonderful hymn Abide With Me, Stout shows redemption in both Tyler Caskey and the town folk as they learn that giving love is difficult, and accepting it is even harder.
Five Stars!
The writing is exquisitely detailed; the characters are magnificently developed and the scenery of the New England small town atmosphere is painted with a wonderful artistic brush of an amalgamation of impressionist soft tones contrasted with a stark canvas of sharp layers
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of vivid, clearly defined lines.Tyler Caskey is an intelligent, well-liked, handsome minister of West Annett Maine. Strout places him and the town folk in a late 1950's setting when even tiny rural towns are cognizant of the threat of Russian domination and the build up of nuclear arms.
While the fuzzy uncertain world is changing as two super powers wrestle for solutions, amid this backdrop, is the stark portrait and fall out of 1950's values and small mindedness and petty gossip. The reader realizes that human nature is frail and personal relationships are exceedingly difficult, thus, perhaps world peace is an illusion.
Tyler's wife died of cancer leaving him with two little girls, one of whom is badly acting out. Parishioners never warmed to his beautiful, cosmopolitan wife and thus now, rather than help, the misguided townsfolk cackle and harm. Rather than embrace, the mean spirited ninnies throw stones.
Using the wonderful hymn Abide With Me, Stout shows redemption in both Tyler Caskey and the town folk as they learn that giving love is difficult, and accepting it is even harder.
Five Stars!
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
I have Olive Kitteridge on my TBR shelf, and I plan to read it soon. But I was able to get this earlier book by Strout on CD at the library, so I’ve been listening to it on my drives to work. In Abide with Me, Strout tells the story of Tyler Caskey, a widower and a minister in a small New England
Throughout the story, the people of West Annett spent a good deal of dealing gossiping about each other, but very little time trying to understand or connect with each other. When moments of human connection do occur, they are poignantly described. I remember one moment especially, when Tyler’s five-year-old daughter Katherine is given love, attention, and an Alice in Wonderland lunchbox by a neighbor, that brought me to tears. At first, I was mad at the characters in the story. Why were moments of understanding and kindness so rare? But perhaps their oversights were noticeable only to me, the omnipotent reader. I had the benefit of knowing the pain or uncertainty or loneliness felt by each character, and so I couldn’t believe it when others didn’t respond with care to those feelings. But Strout helped me realize that the people of West Annatt were not neglectful, but unaware. Strout is at her best as she reveals the troubles of her characters not only to her readers, but also to each other.
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town. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about not only about the trials that Tyler faces in the early years of his marriage and his wife’s rocky transition to life as a minister’s wife, but also about the challenges that face his parishioners in West Annett. Throughout the story, the people of West Annett spent a good deal of dealing gossiping about each other, but very little time trying to understand or connect with each other. When moments of human connection do occur, they are poignantly described. I remember one moment especially, when Tyler’s five-year-old daughter Katherine is given love, attention, and an Alice in Wonderland lunchbox by a neighbor, that brought me to tears. At first, I was mad at the characters in the story. Why were moments of understanding and kindness so rare? But perhaps their oversights were noticeable only to me, the omnipotent reader. I had the benefit of knowing the pain or uncertainty or loneliness felt by each character, and so I couldn’t believe it when others didn’t respond with care to those feelings. But Strout helped me realize that the people of West Annatt were not neglectful, but unaware. Strout is at her best as she reveals the troubles of her characters not only to her readers, but also to each other.
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LibraryThing member readaholic12
Abide With Me is a lovingly written story of a man, a family and a town who have lost their way. The story unfolds quietly and slowly; resolution does not come quickly or easily, but there is much to learn about faith, patience and understanding from its reading. Elizabeth Strout is masterful in
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crafting place and time that feel real, and for creating characters that touch the heart with their humanity. I would have preferred the story reveal more of its secrets, and I was impatient at times for things to happen or to understand why, but at the book's end, I was very glad to have read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mahallett
found this very hard to follow as it skipped around in time which i hate especially in audio books as there is no signal --like a space--to warn you. actually the reader was good, the story so so.
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
By the author of Amy and Isabelle - well-written, but the plot, about a minister whose wife died, wasn't as compelling.
LibraryThing member Bellettres
A deeply touching story of love, grace, courage, family, grief, redemption. I was not prepared to be as moved by it as I was. The religious themes (including several references to the hymn, "Abide With Me") were quite powerful. I am not a fan of organized religion, but I loved the way Strout dealt
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with church issues. I have been inspired to learn more about Bonhoeffer as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stensvaag
A very nice book capturing snapshots in the life of a minister in semi-rural Maine. I especially enjoyed the realistic insights into the pressures and obligations of the pastor, and the interesting cast of characters in the community. I was slightly let down by the ending, but I am not sure that I
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could suggest a better one. Show Less
LibraryThing member aslan7
This was a really good book. I was thinking I wouldn't like the outcome, but did. I also thought the story was very slow, but decded the pace suited the story.
LibraryThing member mbergman
I hadn't liked very much this author's previous book, Amy & Isabelle. This one, much like The Passion of Reverend Nash from a couple of years ago, focuses on the trials & tribulations of a small-town Protestant minister, and, again like that one, has lots of thological reflection (Bonhoeffer is a
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favorite of this pastor). It's a rewarding story--a coming-of-age story in a way, for this pastor, in his mid- to late 20s, finally grows into adulthood, with all the tensions & complexities adulthood entails, and learns the perhaps trite lesson that it's just as important to accept love as it is to give it. Show Less
LibraryThing member tangledthread
The story is about a widowed Congregationalist pastor in New England during the close of the 1950's. The characters and their relationships are well developed. The story is one of those quietly tragic stories love, loss, betrayal, and reconciliation.
There are heavy Christian themes: flawed
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
There are heavy Christian themes: flawed
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characters, enduring hardship, consequences of sin, suffering, redemption, and enduring love. And the tale does have moralistic tone, but it fits.I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
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LibraryThing member kalobo
A sweet story with hidden meaning. On the surface a story of a minister's struggle with faith, a husband's struggle to father his motherless children. But it's also a story about the fallibility of a moral code and the need to sometimes cross it. I liked it very much
LibraryThing member edawmik22
Good points made about humility, grace, and our hidden thoughts. I thought there was too much description of the settings for each scene. It slowed down the story too much. I like books that are focused on the relationships more than the settings.
LibraryThing member suedonym
I rated this book well because it grabbed me and shook me out of what I expected. I love it when a plot that I wouldn't expect to resonate with me does (in this case, I'm not very religious,so I wasn't sure what to think about a minister's story of duty & faith). I thought the ending was well-drawn
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and true to life -- I could see the characters behaving the way they did, based on how Strout had set them up. Show Less
LibraryThing member RavenousReaders
A handsome and beloved minister, still grieving after his wife’s death, can’t seem to cope with his youngest daughter’s bizarre behavior or the rumors swirling about his relationship with the housekeeper. This is a wonderful “feel good” novel about duty, change, and coming to terms with
By Kathleen, PCPL Ravenous Readers
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loss.By Kathleen, PCPL Ravenous Readers
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LibraryThing member franoscar
Well-written book about a minister with an inappropriate and unhappy wife, who dies and leaves an inappropriate & unhappy little girl. It is about the people of a small town in Maine, and about growth & healing.
LibraryThing member pdebolt
This is a novel that won't disappoint its readers. The prose is clear, the plot is believable and the characters have a strength and integrity that rings true. At the end of this book, I felt as if the main character were someone I liked very much and had known for a long time. His faith and
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fortitude in the face of very dire circustances were evident, and made his vulnerability all the more touching. I felt a sense of peace at the conclusion. Thank you, Ms. Strout, for a remarkably excellent book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
Abide with Me, like Strout's other two novels, is complex in nature, deeply provoking, and emotionally wrenching - and rendered in the most beautiful prose imaginable. There are pettiness, envy, jealousy, lust, sorrow, grief here, as well as an enviably articulate examination of questions of
Because Abide with Me is in the end, perhaps more than anything else, about love. I cannot emphasize enough that this is simply a beautiful novel. Beautiful.
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religious belief, compassion and love. Every major character is fully realized and compassionately drawn. There are no one-dimensional cardboard people here. Minister-protagonist Tyler Caskey and the parishioners of his small flock will stay with you for a long time after you put this book down. Perhaps one of the most compelling statements in this narrative comes late in the story, when one of Tyler's former teachers counsels him, saying: "No one, to my knowledge, has figured out the secret to love. We love imperfectly, Tyler. We all do. Even Jesus wrestled with that ... I suspect the most we can hope for, and it's no small hope, is that we never give up, that we never stop giving ourselves permission to try to love and receive love."Because Abide with Me is in the end, perhaps more than anything else, about love. I cannot emphasize enough that this is simply a beautiful novel. Beautiful.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
The day to day life of Tyler, a small town new england minister, and his parishoners. Grieving for his wife lost to cancer, Tyler and his daughter must find their equilibrium again. But the townspeople, unable to see his pain, begin to fill the mystery of Tyler's behavior through their own gossip.
The characters were so vivid and human that I found myself hating them, talking back to the book, and arguing with them as though they were actually there, and then later, I found myself forgiving and loving them. Abide with Me is a loving portrait of humanity, where anyone, even those who seem to have fallen beyond are reach, can be redeemed.
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The characters were so vivid and human that I found myself hating them, talking back to the book, and arguing with them as though they were actually there, and then later, I found myself forgiving and loving them. Abide with Me is a loving portrait of humanity, where anyone, even those who seem to have fallen beyond are reach, can be redeemed.
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LibraryThing member carmarie
I enjoyed this book. The writer gave great depth to the characters, but I would have liked to have gotten more story on the daughter. She was very interesting. The story telling was very well put together. I would definately recommend this book.
LibraryThing member alanna1122
Hmm. This book was a mixed bag for me. I generally like the author's style and I think she is a fine writer. Despite this, the plot dragged in too many places for me to really have enjoyed the book. The frequent mention of the the protagonist's favorite philosopher brought the natural flow of the
Otherwise - the characters were well drawn and the story was pretty fresh.
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story to a halt over and over. It was really frustrating to have that and his other theological / philosophical musings occur so often throughout the book - it was a real momentum killer. I think these parts could have been interesting if written in a more lively way - but they were just obstacles in the path of plot advancement to me. Otherwise - the characters were well drawn and the story was pretty fresh.
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LibraryThing member misfev
This is a story about a minister in the 1950s who loses his wife and everything else falls apart right along with it. I like the questions the author raises about imperfect love, religion and how each one of us lives our lives. However, the story moved along quite slow at times and the overall book
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was dark and depressing. I don't think every book has to have a perfect ending or even a sunny part to it, but it still has to move along at good pace. I found myself skimming several pages toward the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member stonelaura
After the death of his free-thinking wife preacher Tyler Caskey begins to loose control of his children and his life. We hear from various memebers of the congregation, who at first adore, then revile and ulitmately accept Tyler.
LibraryThing member brsquilt
About a minister and daughter. Very good.
LibraryThing member wvlibrarydude
I was really pleased while reading the book. The character development was excellent, with a plot that drove the story along, and even a little literary language on settings to interweave with the story. The lack of half of a star, was due to a lingering distance or disconnect. Just couldn't fully
I also enjoyed the Christian themes of love, forgiveness and faith interwoven throughout the story. It is always refreshing to read a literary work that also reflects Christian issues.
I'll need to read her first book to see what it was like.
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engage with the main character, but still enjoyed. I also enjoyed the Christian themes of love, forgiveness and faith interwoven throughout the story. It is always refreshing to read a literary work that also reflects Christian issues.
I'll need to read her first book to see what it was like.
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LibraryThing member brenzi
Strout continues her theme of lives lived by ordinary people in the rural towns of Maine in the 1950's, which she first presented in "Amy and Isabelle." Tyler Caskey is a minister in the small town of West Annette, Maine. where church is not just a Sunday occurence but completely envelops the daily
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lives of the residents. Strout has created the ultimate story of forgiveness and redemption in the midst of tragedy small town gossip and pettiness. I love the way Strout creates a page turner out of ordinary events. Great read! Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-03-14
Physical description
304 p.; 9.52 inches
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |
ISBN
1400062071 / 9781400062072
Other editions
Abide with Me: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout (Paperback)
Abide with Me: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout (Hardcover)
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Pages
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